Our Flaws
by native portlandian
Summary: And when one of them meets the other half, the actual half of himself, whether he be a lover of youth or a lover of another sort, the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy and one will not be out of the other's sight, as I may say, even for a moment.
1. Chapter 1

When she first started with the Titans, Raven could count the amount of times she had been hugged on one hand. Actually, one finger was probably a better description. And as any other neglected child would, she felt that displays of affection were strange and overbearing. In fact, the first time and only time she had been hugged by her mother, Raven had thought she was attempting to strangle her.

Coming to Earth, she had picked up that it was a sign of affection. Families exchanged them as greetings and farewells. Lovers flung their arms around each other with such reckless abandon that Raven was almost scared by it. And then there were the friends. Every once in a while they would pull another close, just to show a soft love. A reminder that they cared.

After joining the Teen Titans, Raven soon gained her second hug. Starfire had learned the custom from a television show and decided that it was extremely necessary to create bonds with her new "friends". It was morning when Starfire knocked on her door. It was only a week after the Tower had finished being built, and Raven's new room was littered with boxes of books. She had opened the door tentatively, still not used to the idea of living with _others_. Raven had slid the door open with her powers, and was immediately swept into a bone-crushing hug. A few of the cardboard boxes imploded, and books spewed everywhere. Little did she know that this morning greeting would be the first of many courtesy of Starfire. The young sorceress had avoided her other female teammate for the rest of the day, terrified she would do it again.

The next team member to use that particular method of friendly affection had been Cyborg. Everything with the half-robot was so casual. The cold persona he had put up at the beginning was quickly swept away as he became more comfortable around his new team. He was joyful and very fun loving, and went almost out of his way to make sure everyone else was having a good day. When she came down for breakfast a few months into her new living arrangements, she was surprised and slightly annoyed to find herself being scooped up off the floor and squeezed to the chest of a half-robot in a very good mood. It didn't take very long for Cy to understand how uncomfortable it made Raven, and stuck to the occasional shoulder bump and half-smile.

Robin liked hugs about as much as she did, Raven knew that for sure. She noticed the scowl that crossed his face whenever Beast Boy or Cyborg would tackle him or pick him up off the floor in brotherly shows of affection. However, she noted a new reaction whenever Starfire wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. His jaw would slacken slightly, and the rest of his muscles would tense slightly. A blush crept onto his light-colored cheeks, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he convulsively swallowed. It usually took him a moment to tentatively hug her back. Raven was very intrigued in their interactions. She had never seen anything quite like it before. Against her usual judgment, she had actually let down her empathetic shields one day and dipped into the emotions. Immediately, she was attacked by waves of attraction and awkward embarrassment. It made her stomach flip happily, and she gasped as a tiny blush colored her cheeks. She spent the rest of the afternoon in Nevermore discussing what these new mystery feelings could be.

For the next few weeks after this occurrence, she had kept up her emotional shields around Robin and Starfire. It never ceased to amaze her how something as simple as a hug could send so many endorphins rushing to his brain at once. Raven read up on the science behind this, why this affection brought up these odd side-affects. When these didn't give her the desired knowledge, she went out to a magazine stand at the edge of town and purchased one of those teenager magazines with the ridiculous titles and too many colors. From this she learned of a "crush" and how to figure out if they "liked" you back. Raven found it very shallow, but also felt an intense need to know more.

She kept a great deal of her research to herself, so not to seem odd and cut off from regular society. Raven began spending more time in the common room, pretending not to pay attention to the television shows and movies her teammates enjoyed. In reality, she was paying very close attention to the relationships portrayed in media, much like Starfire did. But unlike the alien, Raven took the interactions with a grain of salt. It was make-believe, after all. Still, she was greatly intrigued by the people in the shows who either slowly or quickly developed "crushes". It all seemed rather trivial in hindsight, and Raven ended up deciding that feeling that way for someone was pointless and generally ended in some form of tragedy. That, and her powers would never let her. The extreme emotional mood swings these characters adopted would never be something Raven could handle. Her training in Azarath had made sure of that.

Raven never initiated hugs, even as she got closer and closer to her teammates. They were her family, and she loved them dearly, but they all had to understand that she liked her personal space. For the most part, they respected this and stayed a good distance away. Raven appreciated this. Of course, she tolerated Starfire's enthusiastic greetings and Cyborg's friendly nudges, and every once in a while enjoyed Robin's friendly pat on the back. This was quite enough for the young sorceress. It was just the right amount to assure herself that they loved and appreciated her while respecting her desire for space.

Beast Boy, however, never seemed to catch on to this idea. The young animorph seemed to always feel a need to be in constant contact with everyone he encountered. Beast Boy's many forms helped him in this endeavor; sometimes he would curl up on one's lap as a cat or rest on the shoulder in the form of a green macaw. Raven attempted to accept this at first. She told herself that this was just how the boy showed affection. Perhaps he hadn't been handled very much as a child. Raven could relate to that – although she had moved to the other end of the spectrum.

But Raven was not known for her patience, and Beast Boy wore what little there was extremely thin. She began to snap at him whenever he came within her allotted space, much to the imp's glee. It became a challenge: how close could he get before being yelled at? Her general dislike of the boy grew immensely over the next few years. Snapping turned into yelling, which in turn became physically pushing him away, usually with magic. This never deterred him – if anything, the small green boy encouraged it.

There were days when their arguments were merely friendly banter. The twosome would exchange quips like rehearsed comedians, Raven always coming out on top. She would never let the boy know how much she enjoyed these sessions; it would only feed his already swollen ego. And then, there were the days where it was absolutely impossible for them to get along. They'd yell and scream – insulting each other at every turn. A slamming door here, a harsh _smack_ there. The day Raven met Malchior was one of those days.

They were both in bad moods that day. He probably hadn't really meant to hurt her feelings when he called her creepy, but had certainly succeeded. It made Raven feel isolated and alone, which in the long run probably drove her to put trust in the charming book sorcerer. Malchior was so similar to her. He had a deep understanding of magic and how it felt to be lonely and misunderstood. Raven was intrigued from the beginning, and even began to recognize some feelings that had been dormant for a very long time.

She should have known that her developing crush on Malchior would never turn out well. But with all of her research, she had never expected such feelings to be so _strong_. It was as if a force pulled her to the paper man, a connection forged so deep in only a matter of weeks. Raven found herself becoming a version of the love-struck girls populating every form of media. Whenever this thought crossed her mind, she pushed it away in disgust. What she and Malchior had was _different_. There were no cartoon hearts floating around her head. She was not one of those shallow, frilly girls who fawned over every mood the object of her affection made. Malchior was more than simple affection. He was…perfect.

Out of everyone, Raven should have known that perfection comes with a price. But she could never have known how high that price would be. The second she realized that her trapped lover had been lying to her – that he had _used_ her – Raven felt absolutely betrayed. It was such an intense emotion; a horrid mix of fury, grief, and total bewilderment. Her powers boiled just under her skin, threatening to overwhelm her. In fact, if she had not spent the past two weeks aligning her emotions, they most likely would have.

She defeated him. It was an incredible feat on her part – bringing an ancient, evil creature to its knees before a fifteen year-old girl. But the pain she felt was much stronger than she had ever thought it could possibly be. In the movies, she saw the girls curling up in a ball and sobbing, perhaps clutching a stolen sweatshirt. This was not how Raven felt. Instead, she felt hollow. She knelt in her partially destroyed room, staring at nothing. Her muscles felt like stone, and her breaths barely lifted her chest. Thousands of thoughts flew across her mind all at once, becoming an insistent buzzing at the back of her mind. Raven could not focus. She could not think. Wasn't she supposed to cry? But there was nothing.

He was the last person she expected to show up at her door. But then again, shouldn't she have expected it? Beast Boy was the one who lacked the concept of personal space. She could feel his presence – he needn't knock. He spoke to her door, his voice careful and soft. Raven wasn't sure why he was there, why he was apologizing for wrongs he didn't commit. But her empathy detected a steady thrum of sympathy. He knew. He understood.

"I'm sorry he broke your heart."

Broke her heart? It was a ridiculous metaphor. Breaking one's heart suggested that they would be unable to live afterward. Raven was still living. She was still breathing. And yet, there was that dull ache in the center of her chest. Like something had been torn from her grasp, and she still couldn't realize it was gone yet.

Raven wasn't ready to take this boy's sympathy. Wasn't he the one who, only a few weeks earlier, called her the most hated adjective? And she called him out on this, for no reason other than stubbornness. And to her surprise, he responded with a maturity she never would have thought him capable. He affirmed her accusation, that she absolutely was creepy. But that didn't mean she was on her own.

"You think you're alone, Raven. But you're not."

And these words resonated within her, stirring her emotions and prodding a response. It was so unlike her. But she had never felt so much gratitude, so much _affection_ for one person. The door slid open, revealing him to her. She took two steps forward and wrapped her arms around his figure; the first time she had ever initiated a hug.

Considering how few people had actually hugged her, Raven could remember how each and every one felt. Her mother was cold and distant, her slender arms barely around her daughter for more than a second before she drew away. Starfire's embrace was quite literally crushing. Her alien strength nearly cracked Raven's fragile rib cage, and her pressing heat was burning against Raven's cool skin. Cyborg was also strong, but seemed to be more in mind of it. His hugs were very distinct – it is not often one is held to a metal chest with huge metal arms. Malchior had been wispy and fragile. Raven remembered quite clearly; it had been like a gust of wind had wrapped around her.

Beast Boy was solid. It was one of the most comforting sensations she had ever felt. He was _ther_e, and it was intensely obvious. His body was warm beneath her touch, and she could feel his strong heartbeat through his chest. She would never admit how much she enjoyed pressing herself to him, her arms tight around his neck. It was on her own terms, this breach of space. Beast Boy was still and somewhat tense, obviously surprised. He let her hold onto him for a moment before grabbing her shoulders and gently pushing her away.

The expression on his face was in fact not one of surprise – it was one of shock. His jaw hung slack, exposing his protruding fang. His large, round eyes searched hers. Really, she didn't entirely understand why she had done what she had, but Raven was aware of one thing: it was very, very right.

It was not a crush; not at first. It was more of a mutual respect – a bond, if you will. She found Beast Boy sticking up for her more often, and even discovered herself letting certain things slide. She didn't hug him again for a very long time, which her green friend did not seem to mind. However, this did not stop him from hugging her to a point of annoyance. She'd never admit how much she enjoyed feeling his arms around her.

The incident with Adonis and the Beast put a lot of things into perspective for Raven. It was quite a terrifying experience, considering she was attacked in her own room by a monster straight out of a child's worst nightmare. She was unconscious for a great part of this time, something Raven was more than thankful for. She would get the details later – how her team found her and Beast Boy missing, tracking a beastly creature into the Jump City sewers, seeing her limp body dangling from its slavering jaws. And then the great revelation – it was Beast Boy, who apparently had little memory of the experience. They thought he had attacked her.

Raven immediately knew this was not true. The creature that had attacked her in her room was not Beast Boy. Being an empath, Raven could sometimes recognize an emotional "fingerprint" in people she spent a great deal of time around. Beast Boy's emotional fingerprint was one Raven could feel through walls. That beast did not have that fingerprint. Its emotions were wildly carnal – lust, hunger, and anger. However, when Beast Boy's creature "attacked" her the second time – while she was in a deep, coma-like meditation that came with all of her major injuries – there were none of those feelings invading her psyche. Instead, she distantly picked up possession and a resonating fear. Beneath that was Beast Boy's presence; although buried incredibly deeply.

As soon as she woke and heard one side of the story, Raven informed her team of hers: Beast Boy was not hurting her, he was _protecting _her. The Team, minus her, went off in search of Beast Boy and whatever had actually attacked her. Raven spent this time by herself to sort through exactly what this meant. When she had felt the Beast's aura, it was as if there was a second, much smaller one buried within the first. She surmised this to be Beast Boy. They were one and the same, but at the same time two separate entities. If Raven had to sum it up, she could assume that this Beast was a collection of Beast Boy's primal thoughts and urges. Vaguely, she drew a parallel to herself and her Rage.

One thing was perfectly clear: one of Beast Boy's deepest drives was to protect her. To keep her safe. Raven wanted to believe that she was over-thinking this, but all of the facts said otherwise. This Beast, the sum of Beast Boy's most primal parts, hadn't recognized his own Team. It saw them as a _threat_. So why had it picked her out specially? Why did Beast Boy need to keep her safe?

When Beast Boy was stabilized and Adonis (the real beast) was put away, the green boy seemed utterly ashamed of himself. She wanted to speak to him, to thank him somehow. He was sitting on the shore, where he always seemed to end up in times of personal crisis. And she was there for him.

He divulged his fears to her. Raven realized that Beast Boy was quite aware of the Beast's new connection to him, although maybe not as familiar as Raven was. He was afraid he had hurt her. He was afraid of losing control. She once again assured him that it was not he who had attacked her, but Adonis. This did not seem to cheer him up very much. So she tried again.

"Having that thing inside you doesn't make you an animal. Knowing when to let it out – that's what makes you a man."

His lips quirked up slightly. "Hmm. Maybe you should call me Beast _Man_ from now on!"

She forced the smile off of her face. "We're having a moment. Don't ruin it."

Raven's feelings for Beast Boy built up much slower than they had with Malchior. She was dimly aware of the progression and was not very happy with it. She had just solidified a friendship with him – why would she think to jeopardize it with ideas of something more? It was absolutely ridiculous. Thus, the milestones associated with most crushes happened over a long period of time, and were buried beneath multiple layers of denial.

Beast Boy noticed no change. He carried on messing with her as usual, engaging in arguments and pushing her personal space boundaries. Raven responded as she always had: with threats and insults. But their arguments rarely escalated to fights, as they had so often before. There seemed to be an understanding between them; an unspoken vow to watch out for each other. The rest of the Team was oblivious to this subtle change in dynamic. Raven suspected Robin had noticed, but the Boy Wonder never pointed anything out. She was grateful. The last thing she needed was someone wondering why she was being "nice" to Beast Boy.

The upcoming event of her sixteenth birthday and the subsequent return of Trigon became more and more of a source of worry to Raven. She'd begun to hear whispers in the back of her mind; her father telling her that it was almost time. This was her destiny. Raven wanted to ignore it – she really did – but there was really no use in doing so. And when the emblems appeared on her skin, red and inflamed, Raven had to face the facts: she was going to destroy the world.

She couldn't let her team know. They'd be one of two things: overly cocky, believing their group of five teenagers able to defeat an eons old demon, or worse, afraid of her. That was one of the things her father murmured to her. They would be terrified of her. She was a monster. They would abandon her as soon as they learned about her horrid secret.

And the worst part of this was that she believed it. Every word. So when her sixteenth birthday loomed on the horizon, she wanted to lock herself away and pretend she wasn't counting down the minutes until the awful day was over. Naturally, the fates would have this not be. She had tried so hard to conceal her birth date, but _he_ had found it out anyway.

Raven had considered it next to impossible to find her birth date, which was stated exactly once in her private profile. Ideally, only she and Robin would have access to it. Possibly Cyborg. So when Beast Boy explained how he _may_ have done some snooping on the computer and then gone and set up a surprise party, Raven was furious. This horrible, _awful _day was not to be celebrated. Beast Boy was aggravating a tender situation, and now she was angry. In retrospect, she realized that Beast Boy and the rest of the team had only meant good things, but for the time being she just wanted to be alone and sulk.

After the Slade ordeal, when he told her that there was no way for her to escape her destiny, Raven lost even more hope. Robin was adamant in helping her after the incident, claiming that the Titans would do everything in their power to protect her and the city. It wasn't optimism, but a deep determination. Still, Raven could not find any trace of hope. After that day, she slowly began to mourn her life and the lives of her friends. She could not save them.

They found out, of course. She could not hide forever, and Slade made everything ten times worse. The moment they discovered that the gem was _her_, each one of them vowed to protect her. Cyborg even built a "panic room" that was supposedly able to withstand the force of her powers. But as far as she was concerned, it was all for naught.

Raven could immediately tell the particular day her father had decided to inflict his power. The bright red emblems on her gray skin burned, and there was a constant thrum at the back of her skull. It was to be her Team's last day on Earth. But because she loved them, she would make this the greatest day possible for them.

She cooked them pancakes, which turned out as blackened, bubbling circles the taste and consistency of tar. When the alarm sounded, she took care of the threat as quickly as possible, despite its toll on her powers. They went for pizza, and a walk in the park. Raven had until sundown to allow her friends a memorable last day, her father had promised that. And yet, she was still surprised to see the solar eclipse. Raven should have known about her father's penchant for finding loopholes in every bargain.

It was so touching, how incredibly determined her friends were to defeat Trigon. She tried to tell them, tried to _warn_ them how pointless every attempt they made would be. They did not listen. They loved her too much. But it was Beast Boy who seemed the most optimistic. Before they could leave her in that room built to protect her, he ran back and grabbed onto her wrist. Pushing open her fingers, he placed the penny he had found earlier into the palm of her hand. "For luck," he intoned, a warm smile on his face. And then he was gone. And as she clenched it tightly into her fist, Raven wished she had been able to hug him one last time.

The defeat of her father was nothing short of an absolute miracle. She had spread out her power evenly among her teammates before leaving to sacrifice herself for the portal, originally intending to save them from the worst of the damage. They had followed her to the chamber, and she used the last of her power to put up a shield to protect them. The penny was still clasped firmly in one hand. A great deal of the next few hours were a haze of dark terror. And then, when she had regained her wits and memory, brought back to life by the Boy Wonder, she realized exactly what she was capable of. And without her fear and submission, her demonic father was powerless. It was incredible. Raven felt re-energized. Never before had she imagined such a tremendous victory. She was at home within herself. Her emotions were aligned once more. She felt hope.

Beast Boy was confused. He pointed out her smile, and the fact that she was hugging Robin. At first, Raven thought it was the usual joking, until his overly suspicious mask melted away. "Are you still…you?" His emerald eyes searched hers, looking for some sort of confirmation. She smiled again.

"My favorite color is still blue. And don't get used to the smile, because you're still not funny." It was intended to be a friendly quip. Still, she felt a little guilty when his jaw went slightly slack. Had she been too harsh? They had just been through such an intense experience, surely he –

All worries were thrown away as Beast Boy leaped at her, letting out a cry of sheer delight: "Raven!" He attached his spindly arms around her shoulders and squeezed her into him. His warm cheek was pressed to hers, muscles taut with what was surely a large smile.

She didn't hug him back; not in front of everyone. But inside she reveled in his solidness. His realness. They were both alive. The world had not ended. And so maybe she could let him hold onto her for a few moments, even if it was in front of the entire city. Because, at least for a little while, they had lost each other.

The next year or so, as the Brotherhood of Evil began its awful conquests, Raven learned a lot about Beast Boy. It was only fair – hadn't he and everyone else learned all of her secrets just the year before? She learned of his insecurities, primarily his tumultuous relationship with his previous team, the Doom Patrol. He acted differently around them; a little more humbled. It was odd for Raven to witness. She had known Beast Boy to be such a wild boy, with absolutely no filter on his immature thoughts. But here, in the presence of the people who raised him, he displayed…what? Respect? Maturity?

Negative Man (or Larry, as he insisted to be called), filled Raven in a little bit on Beast Boy's time with the Doom Patrol while they played one of their chess games. Raven asked very careful questions, not wanting to sound too interested. Larry either didn't notice or didn't care; the man seemed to like telling stories. Every once in a while, when they were in the vicinity, Elasti-Girl or Robot Man would chime in.

"I can't really remember how old the kid was when he came to us. Pretty young. Anyway, kid breaks in! I was totally dumbfounded when we found him eavesdropping on a meeting in the main ops room. How'd this weird green kid get in past the security systems? So we go to grab a hold of him, and he turns into a bird." Larry chuckled, his bandaged face barely moving. "We were surprised to say the least. But Steve wanted to detain him, because _apparently_ our meetings were top secret." A huff, as if the prospect was ridiculous. "Took _three hours_ to catch him. Kept turning into all of these tiny little things. His attempts at escape were actually pretty interesting. We almost lost him a coupla times. Steve wanted to call the cops about a runaway kid. Never mind the fact that he was green and could turn into animals." Larry paused, face turned down to the chess board. "I half agreed with him. But Rita and Cliff wanted to give him a chance." He tipped a piece forward. "Next thing I know, Beast Boy is a part of the Doom Patrol." In this time with the Doom Patrol, Raven also learned Beast Boy's real name: Garfield. Which was mildly amusing.

In the face of one of the most expansive evils they had ever faced, Beast Boy became surprisingly competent. In fact, Raven could go as far as to say he had saved them all. But she'd never tell him that; his ego was already too large.

Throughout this all, her feelings for Beast Boy remained steady, thrumming hot and bubbly beneath her skin. It certainly didn't help that the green boy was becoming more of a green man. They were all growing up. Robin turned eighteen, grew a foot taller, and decided he didn't want to be Robin anymore. He traded in his traffic light suit for one of black and blue, and started to slick his hair back. Now he was Nightwing. Starfire, who had done most of her growing in her chrysalis, grew her hair out even longer and traded in her skirt for a pair of slick shorts. Cyborg upgraded his systems. Even Raven grew a little bit, now the towering height of five feet four inches.

But in Raven's opinion, Beast Boy changed the most. It was probably because she had met him as a shrimpy thirteen year-old with a squeaky voice, and he had stayed that way until he turned sixteen. Suddenly, Beast Boy was taller than her; almost taller than Nightwing, but not quite as tall as Starfire. His skinny, awkward body filled out into lean, wiry muscle. His boyish face suddenly gained angles, no longer soft and round. And because of his usual lazy attitude toward hygiene, there seemed to be perpetual green scruff on his jaw. And even as all of this was happening, Raven still was thoroughly embarrassed of her horrid crush on the green twerp.

In fact, she didn't realize Beast Boy had become attractive until it was shoved in her face. They were battling Cinderblock, a relatively standard fight. And while Raven was mid-mantra, the insufferable cement man swatted her with a massive hand, sending her crashing to the street. Raven was stunned for a moment, groaning in pain. Azar knew the bruise she would get.

"Raven!" It was Beast Boy's cry, suddenly right beside her. She opened her eyes – when had she closed them? – and came face to face with her teammate. The sun was right behind his head, making the ends of his hair glow. Her eyes searched his face for a second, breath caught in her throat. When had _Beast Boy _become _beautiful_? The changeling looked practically angelic, the partially blocked sun highlighting shadows on his cheekbones and jaw. His large green eyes glittered with worry, and his protruding canine pressed down against his jade lips. The sunlight bounced off of the tips of his ears, something particularly interesting. She hated to say it, hated to even _think_ it, but damn, she _dug the ears_.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sliding an arm underneath her shoulders and placing his other hand on her waist. It was a standard position for helping up a teammate. They had done it a million times. But for some reason, his touch suddenly felt too intimate, too close. Raven blushed, instinctively putting a hand on his shoulder to help herself up. The bunching of Beast Boy's muscles as he pulled her up made her stomach twist dangerously.

"Um, yes," she blurted out. She was concentrating so hard so not to accidentally destroy something with her powers that little black spots were dancing at the corners of her eyes. Beast Boy pulled away from her, one eyebrow raised.

"You sure?" he asked. "You look super dazed." Raven blinked a few times. How had she ever spoken to him before?

"I must have hit my head," she mumbled. Was she staring at him? Why was he giving her such a weird look?

Beast Boy's ear twitched. "Uh, maybe you should chill. I think we're about to wrap this up anyway." It was true: Starfire, Cyborg, and Robin were landing blow after blow on the stone golem. A standard victory was mere minutes away. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No!" she said, much too quickly. Azar, how had she gotten so awkward so quickly? She thought of the feeling of Beast Boy's muscle beneath her fingers, and another blush came to her cheeks. "I mean, I can take care of myself, Beast Boy."

He still looked concerned, eyes flicking from her to the battle and back to her. "Whatever you say." He shrugged and morphed into a falcon, soaring up to Cinderblock's face. Raven waited on the sidelines for a moment, making sure they didn't need her. As soon as the massive being was vanquished, she took refuge in a portal directly to the Tower. She needed to meditate.

When Raven had admitted to herself that Beast Boy was attractive and she was indeed attracted to him, things went mostly back to normal. Every once in a while, Raven's powers would go a little haywire, but no one made any correlation to a possible interest in Beast Boy. Of course, her teammates had suspicions.

Starfire was the first to confront Raven. It was during their weekly girl's night, something Raven had consented to after years of the alien's pleading. Starfire was painting Raven's toenails while the sorceress read a book. Usually, Starfire would babble on and on about something inane, usually having to do with Nightwing and his emotional constipation. But tonight she was silent. Raven pulled her book down, casting a questioning gaze on the other girl.

"Something on your mind?" she asked. It was partly out of politeness – Starfire was an emotional time bomb. It was best to get it out quickly.

Starfire was quiet for a moment, painting a small purple flower on Raven's big toenail. "Yes, something has been on top of my thoughts," she said, not meeting Raven's eyes.

The sorceress waited for her to elaborate. She didn't. "What is it?" Raven asked, growing mildly impatient. She was also a little intrigued. Starfire was never so quiet.

"I was just doing the thinking," she said after a moment, capping the nail polish. "And I have realized that you have not done the chasing of men." The alien woman glanced up, her bright green eyes sparkling mischievously.

Raven scoffed, going back to her book. "I'm not interested in dating anyone, Star."

Starfire curled her slim fingers around the book and pulled it down slightly. "Why not? The rest of the team has involved themselves in the nights with the attractive friend." Raven blushed and wished she had her hood with her.

"I just don't find anyone attractive," Raven grumbled. This conversation was about to take a very dangerous turn, she could feel it.

Starfire chewed her bottom lip. "Raven, it is scientific fact that the hormones present in an adolescent human's body make them more likely to desire sexual attention from an attractive peer." Raven cocked an eyebrow. Starfire shrugged. "I have done the studying. Nightwing requested that I learn the education of sex before we perform any of the acts."

Raven shuddered inwardly. "That's the last time I want to hear about "sex acts" between you and Nightwing," she deadpanned. "And like I said, I'm just not interested in anybody right now." Raven had always prided herself on her lies. Even Cyborg and Nightwing could only detect one out of ten.

But in that moment, Starfire saw right through her. "I believe that your denial of interest in the men is a farce," she said, a small smile pulling at her lips.

Raven blushed. "When did you become a walking thesaurus?" she snapped. Starfire ignored the taunt, following her previous train of thought.

"But since you do not do the out getting very much –"

"Hey!"

"– if you were interested in someone and did not want to tell me, it must be a teammate!" Starfire's eyes brightened, if that was possible. Raven grimaced.

"Starfire, this is ridiculous. Why would I be interested in –"

"It is friend Beast Boy, isn't it?" Starfire interrupted. Raven blinked a few times, her mouth open in astonishment. Taking this as a symbol of for her being correct, Starfire squealed and flipped up into the air, her red hair following in a graceful arc.

"This is most glorious, Raven! You and Beast Boy would be the most adorable couple! You can do the double date with Nightwing and I!"

"Star–"

"Do you think you will someday perform the ceremony of marriage? I can make traditional Tamaranian blorglog! Oh! Can I be the honorable maid?"

"St–"

"Perhaps one day you will have your own little bumgorfs! Ooooh they will be the darling!"

"STARFIRE!" The alien finally stopped circling the ceiling, a question in her eyes. Raven let out a breath and smoothed her hair back. "You are thinking _way_ too far ahead. Who says I even _like_ Beast Boy?" Starfire settled back down on the end of the bed, looking slightly disappointed.

"I was doing the assuming again," she murmured, her bottom lip pouting slightly. "I apologize. Friend Cyborg says that it makes a donkey of us both."

Raven didn't bother to decode the phrase. "Apology accepted. But why do you think I like Beast Boy?"

Starfire shrugged one shoulder. "Well, he has become quite attractive," she intoned. "And you do seem to enjoy watching him." Raven blushed. Had she been that obvious? Her teammate giggled. "Also, he makes the blood pool in your face."

Raven pursed her lips for a moment. "Let's say – hypothetically – that I am interested in Beast Boy. There would be nothing I could do. My emotional coaching won't allow me to show any excessive feeling. It'd be dangerous for both of us."

Starfire smiled softly. "Perhaps it is worthy of the risk."

For the rest of that week, Raven tread very carefully around Beast Boy, especially when Starfire was nearby. If the green teen noticed the change, he said nothing about it. However, one night at the dinner table, it became apparent that someone else had.

"Would you pass me the rolls, Beast Boy?" Raven asked, keeping her eyes on her plate.

"Sure," the green teen responded, passing the bowl of bread into her outstretched hand.

"Thank you."

Cyborg slammed his fork into the table, effectively skewering it. He stood abruptly, the chair behind him falling over. "I don't know what's goin' on," he began, voice terse. "But I'm about five seconds from Crazy Town."

"What are you talking about?" Nightwing asked, focused on the fork sticking out of the wood.

"Yeah, dude, what's up?" Beast Boy seemed genuinely concerned, but still kept eating his spaghetti.

Cyborg's gaze fixed on Beast Boy. "You!" he shouted. "You and…her!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Raven, whose eyes widened slightly. "Y'all haven't said anything mean to each other all week! The silence has been driving me _crazy_! _What the hell is happenin' here_?!"

Starfire blinked a few times, a spot of mustard on the corner of her lip. "I do not understand. What is the 'Crazy Town'?"

Nightwing jerked the fork out of the table. "I don't know why you're complaining, Cy. It's nice to have the Team not arguing. We work better."

Cyborg's human eye twitched. "It ain't right!" He whipped around to face Raven, nearly flipping the table as he did so. "_Who are you_?!"

Raven narrowed her eyes. "I'm being polite, Cyborg," she hissed. "It's common courtesy."

"You ain't never treated Beast Boy like an equal! I don't think he even knows what courtesy means!"

"Hey!" Beast Boy piped up, throwing his utensils down on his plate. "I do _so_ know what courtesy means!"

The half-robot's lip twitched. "Then what is it, Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy crossed his arms over his chest. "It's how people act in court rooms!"

Nightwing coughed, obviously covering a laugh. Starfire looked terribly confused. Raven couldn't help it – she chuckled.

Immediately, Cyborg turned on her. "DID YOU JUST LAUGH AT HIS JOKE?"

"No," she said, a little too quickly. Cyborg threw his hands in the air and walked away from the dinner table. The door slid shut behind him. A silence fell over the kitchen.

"That was weird," Beast Boy commented. Nightwing nodded, his gaze fixed on the doors. Starfire contemplated her plate of mustard-soaked spaghetti.

"I'm going to my room," Raven announced, standing. Just as she opened the portal, she heard Starfire say, "Will someone please explain the 'Crazy Town'?"

The solace of her room was only mildly comforting to Raven. It would only be a matter of time before someone bugged her about the scene at the dinner table. Her head throbbed with the sudden onslaught of stress. Raven floated off of her floor and onto the space just above her bed, crossing her legs into her usual meditation position.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Azarath Merion Zinthos." Considering her years of practice, it did not take very long for Raven to enter meditation. Usually these sessions were quiet and collective; aligning her powers and calming her emotions. However, because she was stressed, her emotions became much more…vocal. Voices began to trickle from the corners of her mind, progressively getting more distinct.

"When I get my hands on Cybutt, I'm gonna _wring his neck_ for embarrassing us!" Rage snarled.

"Can't we just pretend that nothing ever happened?" Timid whispered.

"We should probably tell Cyborg what is going on," Knowledge reasoned. "And Nightwing. They'll be –"

"And BB! Let's tell BB about how funny his joke was!" Happy cried eagerly.

"Can we also tell him he has a great ass?" Affection drawled.

"Who else liked the spaghetti?" Rude belched.

Raven's eyes shot open. Nothing was going to be accomplished with all of that disarray. The sorceress used her powers to pull a book from her shelf and began a trek to the common room. At least when she was fully conscious her emoticlones shut up.

She carefully opened the door to the common room, slightly wary of anyone else being in there. At first glance, it was empty. She stepped inside.

"Hey, Raven," Beast Boy called from the kitchen. He was doing dishes, his back turned to her. Raven cursed under her breath. There was no way she was going to be able to leave now. How hadn't she spotted his emotional signature? A brief thought of the argument in her head reminded her.

"Hello, Beast Boy," she mumbled. He didn't say anything, much to her relief. Raven curled up on the couch and opened her book.

Very quickly, she discovered that the book was nearly impossible to focus on. Beast Boy was humming as he did the dishes, and Raven suddenly had the very strange urge to join him. She could come up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. Maybe he was even dancing to the music in his head; she would sway her hips along with his. Then maybe she could curl her fingers around the hem of his uniform shirt, run her hands over his abs…

A pillow exploded into a cloud of feathers directly next to her, earning a surprised gasp. Beast Boy had stopped humming. "You okay, Raven?" he asked, concern filling his aura.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. Did he notice the shake in her voice? "Something…caught me off guard."

He was leaning over the back of the couch now; she could see him from the corner of her eye. "And you made the pillow explode…why?"

What was the use in lying to him? "Sometimes, when my emotions are very strong, I lose control of my powers for a second."

"Huh." The gangly seventeen year-old vaulted over the couch, perching next to her. The pile of feathers and fabric sat between them. Raven tried to focus on that instead of their proximity. "Like the whole _Wicked Scary_ incident?"

Raven shut her eyes and began to massage the bridge of her nose. "Yes."

It was quiet for a moment. She could still feel his closeness; the boy practically radiated warmth.

"I, uh, talked to Cyborg." Raven's eyes shot open, craning her neck to look at him. Beast Boy was chewing on his lower lip, not meeting her gaze. "I told him that we got in a fight 'cuz I stole your cape, and you still hadn't forgiven me." Now he looked at her, a question in his eyes.

Raven drew in a soft breath. "Thank you," she mumbled. "I've been having…emotional struggles lately."

Beast Boy nodded, eyebrows creased. "Man, that sucks, Rae. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," she mumbled. Even if it was, in a somewhat backward way.

And then Beast Boy did something she hadn't expected: he reached over and hugged her. It was somewhat awkward at first – her face was pressed uncomfortably into his shoulder and the pile of feathers between them was distracting. But Raven quickly forgot about that. All she could feel was the _solidness_. The same solidness she had held in her most trying times. She wrapped her arms around him, somewhat tentatively.

And in that moment, she vowed that she would never let him know just how much she loved him.

…

A/N – Hello, lovelies. I am somewhat stuck on Snippets, and sort of birthed this monster during my un-stucking process. I'm feelin' this'll be a multi-chapter story, but we'll have to see. I'm definitely posting a part two (BB's POV) so that'll be cool. And then maybe Snippets will get running again. Idk. Reviews make me a happy penguin btw ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Beast Boy had never been any good at reading people. Naturally, he was strongly in denial of this fact, even going as far as to saying it was his "animal instincts" that allowed him to "sense thoughts". For the most part, his proof was a great deal of lucky guesses. Of the Teen Titans, Beast Boy had been able to convince one person that this was true of him: Starfire. The alien princess was in total awe of her teammate's "instincts". Beast Boy reveled in this, even if Starfire wore every emotion on her sleeve (a potted plant could probably tell what the girl was thinking). Eventually, Beast Boy was able to read Cyborg as well, mostly because he was his best friend and they spent a great deal of time together.

Robin and Raven, however, were an enigma. Each were so stoic and serious, hardly even registering emotions. It was an endless source of frustration to Beast Boy, which led to quarrels with them. Especially Raven. To Beast Boy, the older sorceress seemed perpetually pissed off. Naturally, he'd attempt to cheer her up. This would fail miserably, she'd offend him, they'd argue, and then the cycle would later begin again. Beast Boy just could not fathom how Raven _never_ reacted to _anything _he did unless it was something to further piss her off. How many times had he promised he'd make her smile? A thousand? _A million?_ And when Beast Boy made promises, he kept them.

He had broken through to her eventually, but it took a whole trip into her mindscape to do so. Raven's emotions were so separate, it was no wonder that she kept them locked away. It made Beast Boy wonder if his emotions were arranged similarly in his brain (maybe they were all different colors too?), but he eventually decided that the notion was too crazy. His emotions were so strong and jumbled together. If his room wasn't organized, why should his head be? Raven's various emoticlones had only served as confusion at first – Beast Boy thought they were all literally Raven (who was experiencing intense mood swings). It was annoying and frustrating, but Beast Boy had to admit that the idea that Raven's happiness swelled with his jokes (she thought he was funny? Why is this making _him_ so happy?) stroked his ego.

After getting the whole idea of this, Beast Boy began to understand exactly how Raven _worked_. Her emotions were super strong and super crazy, so it made sense for her to bottle it up. Still, Beast Boy had trouble keeping his patience when she routinely insulted him. But they had bonded in spite of it, and Beast Boy considered Raven one of his best friends.

Now he was perched on the end of the couch, looking over at the sorceress in question. She was sitting in the corner, her legs drawn up to help keep a book close to her face. She didn't seem to notice him, which he was grateful for. Beast Boy usually had a great deal of trouble explaining staring (which he did embarrassingly often).

The sun was shining brightly through the uncovered windows, spilling onto the carpet and lighting up dust motes. Beast Boy loved feeling the sun on his skin, and the animals inside him certainly didn't mind either. Briefly, he wondered whether he should turn into a lizard, or a cat. But he pushed the idea aside. It felt less creepy to watch Raven when he was in human form, for some crazy reason.

The animorph had excellent hearing, at least three times better than a human's. His team was very aware of this, and it made it hard for him to use the "I didn't hear you" excuse. But one thing they didn't know was that he could focus his hearing onto one thing. Sorta like x-ray vision, but with ears. Beast Boy did this now, cocking one ear up and the other back. If he focused _just_ hard enough, he could hear Raven's soft breathing and steady heartbeat. It was calming. Raven's heartbeat was the steadiest of any of the team members (besides his own, but who liked to listen to their _own_ heartbeat?), and he would sometimes focus on it in times of stress. Or thinking. Or just in general.

Cyborg's heart was strong and loud, but it also made a clicking noise every other beat – something to do with his robotics probably. Starfire's six-chambered heart beat twice as fast as a human and in triplicate, which was mildly creepy. And Nightwing's ticker beat much too fast to be healthy in Beast Boy's opinion.

He had started listening to Raven's heart after the Beast incident. It gave him something to focus on; to maintain himself with. Whenever his control began to slip, he'd close his eyes and focus his ears on the steady _ka-thump_ of the cardiac organ. He hoped Raven didn't know (she seemed to know everything!), because it felt like he was intruding on something. Which was ridiculous. It's a heart! It's not like she could make it stop beating! Or could she…? Beast Boy was not very well-versed on the anatomy of demons. Or humans, really.

In any case, his instincts had sort of hooked on to the idea of Raven's heart being a calming sound. He'd focus on it without knowing – often during training or battle or an argument. If the sorceress was in the room, his ears would flick toward her and the resounding beat would fill his head. It was always so slow and steady; probably a product of the whole "controlling emotions" deal.

He'd never told anyone about this habit for fear of the inevitable teasing that would come with it. Cyborg would certainly go nuts on him, probably building up a rumor that Beast Boy had a crush on the empath. Which was utterly, completely ridiculous.

Beast Boy swallowed, looking away from Raven's still figure. His cheeks were hot. Okay, maybe ridiculous was a _bit_ farfetched. Just a few years before he would've backed up the statement until the end of time, but now he wasn't really entirely sure.

He had admitted to himself early on that Raven was a very attractive girl. Her skin was as smooth and pale as polished marble, which made her eyes look even more like gemstones. Her violet hair was shiny and soft-looking. Beast Boy could think about her scent for hours (a very guilty secret. But considering they shared a bathroom…and her shampoo was _right there…_). And don't even get him started on those _legs_.

But actually legitimately having feelings for her? It was one of the weirdest notions to cross his mind. He and Raven were total polar opposites in almost every single aspect. She was reclusive; he was personable. She was humorless; he was hilarious. She was dark and pessimistic; he was the definition of optimism. If they got together, wouldn't the world explode? However, Starfire and Nightwing were also relative opposites. And Jinx and Kid Flash. And both couples were stronger than ever!

Beast Boy glanced over at Raven again. She was watching him. As soon as their eyes met, Beast Boy's mouth went dry. The air between them felt like it was crackling with lightening. The moment felt like it lasted painfully long, although it was probably only a second or two. But still. Beast Boy felt like he was falling uncontrollably into the dark abyss of the demoness's eyes. And above it all, her heartbeat, getting steadily louder and louder and –

Raven looked away, breaking the spell. Beast Boy sucked in air, trying to bring the oxygen back to his brain. Holy _shit_. That was weird. The changeling rubbed his hands over his face, still feeling a little like he had been pushed off a cliff. Beads of sweat had actually popped out along his hairline. He reached up a gloved hand to brush them away.

Okay, so that was pretty intense. And his heart was starting to sound a little like Nightwing's. Not good. Beast Boy slid off of the arm of the couch and onto the cushions. He blinked rapidly, trying to understand the barrage of feelings occupying his being.

This was not the first time such an event had occurred. In fact, Beast Boy found himself floored by the empath at _least_ once a month nowadays. But before that (if memory served him right), it had only happened every once in a while. Beast Boy picked at a loose string on his glove, eyes narrowed in concentration. The memory he was looking for was somewhere in his brain; the memory of the very first time it had happened. Beast Boy was cursed with a very confused system of memory. Some thoughts were kept nice and pristine, and others were immediately thrown out the opposite ear. Still more were subconsciously pushed to the back of his mind.

Suddenly, like a spark igniting paper, Beast Boy recalled the exact moment Raven had given him that strange, intense feeling. It had been years before, when he was only fourteen. He could recall the action, but the situation was somewhat blurry. The team had just done something important. And Beast Boy had been worn out. A fight? He dug deeper. He had been feeling guilty, and also somewhat sad. Ah! Yes! The battle with Malchior. Raven's heartbreak. Beast Boy had spoken those words – words that had come from a deeper part of himself – at a closed steel door.

_"You think you're alone, Raven. But you're not_."

And then there had been a quiet. He remembered his stomach twisting with fear, afraid that she would be angry. Afraid that he had hurt her even further. But instead, the door had slid open, exposing Raven for what she was: a young girl who was lonely and hurting. And before he could think, before he could apologize or joke or faint, she threw herself forward and into his arms.

Saying Beast Boy was shocked was probably the greatest understatement of the year. He was absolutely astonished. Her arms were tight around his neck and shoulders; her face pushed up into his shoulder. It was as if she had managed to hit some sort of freeze or pause button on him – he could not move. Her hair was pushed up against his face, and he could _smell her shampoo_. And beneath it all: her heartbeat. Strong and steady and warm against his still chest. And that was when the _feeling _hit him. Mouth dry, lightning sparks dancing across skin, and the growing volume and intensity of her heartbeat…

The feeling had terrified him into regaining muscle control. Still practically shaking from the experience, he put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away, searching her face for answers. Had she enacted some sort of spell? He wouldn't put it past her. But the only thing in her eyes was a brilliant thank-you. Beast Boy had felt like butter had melted over his heart.

It had happened multiple times over the next few years. Every time it was just as surprising, if not more. He'd never really pinpointed the feeling, and hadn't ever told anyone else about it. Not even Cyborg.

Now, in the common room, Beast Boy mulled it over and over in his head. He'd never felt this way about any other person before. He chewed his lip thoughtfully and briefly wished he was an empath. Could empaths understand their own emotions? Wait. Isn't that like psychics reading their own thoughts? Technically, anyone could do that. So why was he struggling so much?

Beast Boy looked over at Raven again. His heart made a little skip in his chest. He cursed it as well as the blush that came to his face. He was overthinking this. Wiping a hand over his face, he turned forward and turned on the GameStation. If he needed anything, it was definitely to stop thinking.

Over the next few days, Beast Boy very carefully avoided Raven. He wanted to be sure about his possible "feelings" toward her. Which never failed in weirding him out and forcing the topic out of his brain completely. She didn't seem to notice at first, which was a relief. Or did she notice and just didn't care? For some reason, Beast Boy found this to be the worse alternative.

Although he was seventeen years old and the handsomest man in Jump City (self-proclaimed, of course), Beast Boy had never had an honest, for-real girlfriend. He'd gone on dates and had one-night stands, but for some reason these girls lost their luster as soon as they opened their mouths. When Beast Boy was smarter than the girl in question, it just felt…weird. Don't get him wrong, they were all ridiculously kind, beautiful girls. And Beast Boy had always been under the impression that he needed a stupid girl so he could feel smart. In any case, he'd spend the evening with them waiting for the _spark_.

Beast Boy was a Hopeless Romantic, capital letters included. He wanted to be in love with every girl he dated, and was always disappointed when he wasn't. Cyborg had told him that love didn't work that way, and he had to wait for it to bloom. Beast Boy had shook his head. For him, it was love at first sight, or no love at all.

That's how it had been with Terra. She had made him feel like he was constantly floating off of the ground. Hell, he could hardly even _remember his own name_ around her! And ever since then, he'd wanted to recreate that feeling. It'd been three years since then – and no luck.

Currently, Beast Boy compared his old feelings for Terra next to his new feelings for Raven. They were as similar as the two women themselves were. While his feelings for Terra had felt light and airy, like balloons, his feelings for Raven seemed to resonate deep inside his abdomen. They were like roots in his chest.

But then again, should he even be comparing Terra to Raven? Terra was flighty and emotional, always running from her own fears. Raven, on the other hand, was solid and constant. She had literally fought her demons and won. Plus, she was the bravest person Beast Boy had ever met.

He was thinking over this comparison for the fifty-seventh time during a team meeting. He perched on the edge of the couch, eyes on Nightwing (but totally unfocused). Raven was sitting on the other end of the couch, her legs crossed casually. Sometimes, his eyes would sort of drift over to rest on her still form before flicking back to Nightwing. What was he talking about again? Did it even _matter_?

It took Nightwing exactly four times (plus Cyborg clouting him over the ear) to get Beast Boy's attention. The dark-clothed man was watching his teammate with that annoyed look again. Or was it his regular face? Beast Boy could no longer distinguish the difference.

"Uh, yeah?" he said, a little embarrassed for how stupid he sounded.

Nightwing pinched the bridge of his nose. "I asked if you could also do tonight's rounds. Please."

"Yeah, no prob, 'Wing." Beast Boy flapped a gloved hand, easing back into his usual lazy smile.

"Alright. You and Raven will need to cover all of East Jump. Stay low, no crazy antics." Nightwing glanced over at Raven. "Please keep a tab on him. We do _not_ need a repeat of last Halloween."

Beast Boy pouted. How was he supposed to know that children would be terrified of a live T-Rex? Didn't kids love dinosaurs? It wasn't his fault that little Jimmy peed his firefighter costume. And then Nightwing had suspended him from video games for a _whole month_. It was the darkest November Beast Boy could remember.

Wait. Who had Nightwing said he was going with? The injustice of last Halloween had distracted him. Again. He glanced over at Raven, stomach flipping over. This was certainly not going to go well for his whole avoidance policy.

"…and we aren't entirely sure whether they're a threat or not. Titans East's tip-off has given us a very small advantage. Hopefully we will be able to catch them before they make too much trouble." Shit. Nightwing had been talking again. Beast Boy nodded, hoping the look on his face was of convincing concern.

"Do you have profiles?" Raven asked, her eyes flicking to Cyborg.

The half-robot chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Not really. All we have is a picture and description of powers."

"That's all I need," Raven said softly. Cyborg sighed and leaned forward to the control screen that was usually a coffee table. He tapped a few things, and a blown-up photo filled the TV screen. It showed five kids engaged in some sort of retreat. Up in the air, apparently flying, was a boy in a red cape. Just in front of him, a little higher in the air, was a smaller girl with massive golden wings. The winged girl was holding onto another girl, this one clothed entirely in blue with quite a bit of skin showing. Running just beneath them on the ground were two men, one in gray and black, the other in yellow and black.

Cyborg stood as Nightwing sat, stepping forward to point at the picture. His finger hovered over the two on the ground. "Boy in gray appears to be the leader. Bee says it's 'cause he does a lot of hand-signals. Wears goggles over his eyes and no shoes or gloves. He doesn't say much apparently, but this guy can climb walls like a spider. Got past Titans East security, which _I_ designed. Trust me, it's a feat. The other is apparently almost as annoying as Beast Boy."

"Hey!"

"But he is a force to be reckoned with. Literally. He can blow gale force winds." Cyborg's hand drifted upward, touching the red cape of the man in flight. "This guy can breathe fire. The combined power of him and the wind-blower could make a _lot_ of damage." He pointed to the girl in blue. "Another quiet one, but she landed Speedy in the hospital. She just focused on him for a second and he dropped to the ground, screaming and holding his head. Passed out, but he should be better soon." Starfire made a worried sound. Cyborg grimaced. "And this one, with the wings, is a friggin' mystery. She just sorta sat back during the fight unless someone came at her. And then it was crazy. We have no idea _what_ powers she even has! A whole bunch would just disappear and reappear. In fact, when they were makin' their getaway, the fire breather picked her up and threw her into the air, where she _grew_ the wings."

"They weren't there to begin with?" Nightwing asked. He was stroking his chin.

"Bee says no," Cyborg said. "I can ask her to send me the security footage."

"Wait, who are these guys?" Beast Boy asked, once again feeling slightly left behind. Everyone looked at him. "What?"

"Friend, this is what the entire meeting has been about," Starfire murmured, putting a hand on his knee. Beast Boy's ears drooped.

"Beast Boy, you need to start paying more attention," Nightwing chided. "This is very serious."

"Sheesh, sorry," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

"They're the new and improved HIVE Five," Raven intoned. "And if Bumblebee is right, then Jump City is their next target."

...

"I thought the HIVE disbanded years ago," Beast Boy said distantly. He and Raven were standing on the roof of a hotel, watching the streets. They had spent the rest of the time in flight, scanning as they headed to the first checkpoint. Now they could talk.

"They did," Raven murmured. Her cloak was pulled tightly around her small frame. The hood almost completely obscured her face. "This is a new one."

Beast Boy groaned and rolled back onto his butt. "They were annoying enough the _first time_." Raven ignored him, still staring out into the still somewhat busy streets. Beast Boy started to feel a little awkward. It had to have been at least a week since they had been in direct contact with each other. And the quiet was _killer_.

"So, um, Rave –"

"Rose street intersection all clear," Raven mumbled into her communicator. She turned around to face Beast Boy. "We should move now."

They flew in silence. Beast Boy wished he could see Raven's expression. Was she angry with him? Had she noticed his awkwardness? A stone seemed to fall into his stomach. _Had she figured out about his feelings_? The thought almost made him morph back into himself, which would not have been good. But it was enough to ruffle his feathers. If Raven noticed his discomfort, she gave no sign.

The southeast side of Jump City was definitely the sketchiest. It was uncomfortably close to a lot of bad memories, like Slade's old stomping grounds. A lot of the buildings were run down and empty. The skeletal remains of industrial factories hunched like brick monoliths at the edge of the city. It was on one of these Raven stopped, floating gracefully onto the rooftop. Beast Boy was mildly distracted by the way her cape fluttered around her legs and stumbled out of his owl form, nearly face-planting. Raven paid no heed. She sat on the edge of the roof, crossing her legs and settling her hands on her knees.

Beast Boy brushed the dirt off of his knees. "I've never been to this checkpoint," he said conversationally. The silence had been eating him alive.

"That's because it isn't a checkpoint," the sorceress deadpanned. She hadn't even turned to look at him. Not that she usually did, but _still_.

"Then what are we –"

"If Cyborg's calculations are exact, this is where the New HIVE would enter the city. I do not believe them to be already here; they would have made their presence known to us. We will stay here for the rest of the patrol."

Beast Boy glanced around, a shiver rolling up his spine. There was absolutely no one around. The streets were deserted; the buildings were dark and empty. It was like a horror movie waiting to happen. "Uh, is…Nightwing okay with this?" Usually Beast Boy could care less what Nightwing thought, but the place was giving him the heebie jeebies.

"Nightwing would take my side in this situation." Her response was curt. She still hadn't looked at him for the duration of the conversation.

Beast Boy ran a hand over the opposite arm. He considered thinking of another excuse, but Raven would just shoot it down with logic and other dumb stuff. With a defeated huff, Beast Boy plopped down beside his teammate.

"So, uh…" He wracked his brain for something to talk about. Anything. "Wanna play I-Spy?"

The sorceress was silent. Beast Boy's ears drooped. He couldn't see most of her face due to the hood, but the fact that her mouth had twisted into a grimace was probably not a good sign.

"I mean, we don't have to. It's a dumb game. You can't even –"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" The question was so quiet and quick that the changeling almost missed it entirely.

"What?" he said dumbly. A blush was touching his ears. He knew exactly what.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Raven repeated, a touch louder. There was no emotion in her voice, which was terrifying. Beast Boy wanted to curl into a ball and disappear. Couldn't he, theoretically? Would Raven interrogate an armadillo?

He had apparently been considering this idea for too long, because Raven felt the need to continue. "I know you have, Beast Boy. You aren't exactly subtle."

He could feel sweat beading his temple. "Uhhh…really?"

Now she looked at him. Her violet eyes glittered with annoyance. Beast Boy bit his lip and looked at the concrete below them. Would he live if he jumped?

"What are you scared of?" Raven asked. Her tone had suddenly turned soft. Beast Boy met her gaze again, surprised. She no longer looked angry. She looked…hopeful? No, he must be reading that wrong.

"You," he said without really thinking. Immediate regret settled in. If he wasn't in for it before, he _really_ was now. He cringed away from her slightly.

But all Raven did was blink. "Is that why you're avoiding me?"

"Yes. I mean no. I mean…sort of?" Why had he been avoiding her? Because he liked her? Because he didn't like her? Because his brain was engaged in a civil war?

Raven sighed, finally turning her eyes away from him. She clenched her hands together in her lap. "Beast Boy, if I have been acting in a way that is making you uncomfortable, then I apologize."

"You haven't!" Beast Boy assured, not entirely sure where he was going to go with this explanation. "I've just been...confused lately."

Raven's brow furrowed slightly. It was cute. Wait, it was cute?

"Are you confused about…me?"

Now he was hoping a fall from this height _would_ kill him. "Er, in a way."

Raven blinked a few times, like she was thinking. Beast Boy could practically see the cogs whirring in her brain. Her hands clenched tighter together. "Beast Boy, there's something I should –"

A sudden bloom of fire exploded between them. Beast Boy skidded away, a rather unmanly scream catching in his throat. Raven spun from the flames, using her cloak as a shield. When the fire subsided, both teens whipped toward the source.

It was the New HIVE. The boy in the red cape had obviously been the source of the fire – smoke was still curling from the corners of his mouth. The rest remained in position behind him. Raven and Beast Boy fell into their natural fighting stances, both aware that they were terribly outnumbered.

"Glad we finally have your attention," the fire-breather grumbled. He was wearing a mask akin to Kid Flash's, allowing short blonde hair to remain free and round blue eyes to glare up at them. He was much larger than he had looked in the photograph. Beast Boy gulped.

"State your business here," Raven snapped. She had floated into the air slightly. Beast Boy crouched, not yet wanting to change form.

A scoff. The boy in yellow and black was picking at the fingers of his gloves, a lopsided smile touching the edges of his mask. "Why does everyone think we have an 'evil plan'? Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you. We aren't idiots."

"Shut up, Zephyr," hissed a blonde girl. Beast Boy had trouble recognizing her. Was she the chick with the wings? He had no idea. She glanced up at them. Her bright blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness. "My name is Apex. This is Spark, Zephyr, Bombadiera, and Spyder." She pointed to each in turn.

"Yeah, that's nice and all," Beast Boy interrupted, "but what the _hell_ are you guys doing resurrecting the Five? Haven't you learned from the first time? You can't beat us."

Apex rolled her eyes, a sneer forming at the corner of her lip. "What is _with_ you people? We _aren't_ the HIVE Five. Miss Prissy Bee just recognized us from that damned school."

"The HIVE academy was halted years ago," the boy in gray and black, apparently Spyder, put in. His voice was low and quiet. Behind his domino mask, Beast Boy felt like the other man was staring into his soul. "Do you people never check your records?"

Raven's lip twitched with annoyance. "What do you want?"

The girl who hadn't spoken yet, Bombadiera, was examining a fingernail. She flicked her eyes up at Raven. Beast Boy was struck by how similar the two women looked: both had pale skin and an outfit made up mostly of blue. And then, of course, Bombadiera's eyes were violet.

"An introduction," Apex answered. "Don't bother with your names; we already know."

"Then what –" Raven was interrupted by another plume of fire exploding from Spark's mouth. They spun back, shielding their faces. Beast Boy turned into a condor, flapping his enormous wings at the sudden flames.

"Azarath, metrion, zin-AAAAH!" Raven's usual mantra was cut through with a scream. Out of the corner of his eye, Beast Boy watched her drop to the ground, clutching her head. Spark had flown up into the air and dropped Bombadiera onto the roof. The girl in blue was staring directly at Raven. Her eyes were a horrid, pulsating purple.

Beast Boy dropped out of his morph. "Raven!" he screamed. He tried to run to her, but was stopped by a punch to his stomach that sent him flying. He lay on his back, struggling to bring air back into his lungs. Spyder crouched back, fist cocked to send another hit. Beast Boy growled, anger and worry for Raven making his hair stand on end. He turned into a tiger and lunged for the barefooted boy.

He ran smack into a force field, causing him to lose concentration and morph back. Apex had leaped in front of her teammate. The field was emanating from her being, creating a shield that buzzed with energy. Beast Boy turned into a gorilla, charging at them again.

Sadly, he was once again deterred. Zephyr, the only one still on the street, sucked in a breath and blew. It hit Beast Boy like a hurricane wind, even in his five-hundred pound gorilla form. He flew back, hitting a smoke stack hard enough to crack it. The pain rang through his skull, making his vision blur. He hardly registered morphing back before the darkness overtook completely, and he passed out.

…

When he awoke, Beast Boy was not entirely sure where he was. His head hurt like a _bitch_; that was a for-sure. As the world swam back into focus, Beast Boy went over what had apparently just happened. The New HIVE (but not the HIVE) had collectively ganged up on him and kicked his ass. Hard. He groaned, reaching a hand up to the back of his head. There was a large bump. He sighed in relief – no blood. But that didn't rule out a concussion. Beast Boy hissed through his teeth as he sat up. Raven was going to have a heyday with –

Oh, God.

Beast Boy shot up, all injuries forgotten. Head spinning, he jolted toward the direction he had last seen Raven. Little fireworks exploded in front of his eyes, and he stumbled over his own feet and came crashing to the ground.

"Raven!" he cried out, struggling back to his feet. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. When that didn't work, he shifted into a dog (which took a _hell_ of a lot of concentration), put his nose to the ground, and sniffed her out. He found her laying on her side near the edge of the roof, unconscious. Thankfully, he could not smell blood.

He shifted back, remaining on his knees next to the sorceress. His eyesight was still a little blurry, but that was alright. He moved the hood from her face, scanning her head for injuries. That was where you were supposed to check first, right?

She was still breathing, thank God. If Beast Boy didn't know any better, he'd say she was sleeping. But it looked like she was having one _hell_ of a nightmare – her face was twisted in silent agony. Beast Boy felt panic pushing at his skin, but resisted it. He pulled his communicator off of his belt and pressed the red button on the side – the emergency call button. It would radio any Titans in the area to come to their aid immediately.

Beast Boy gently pulled Raven's head into his lap. He pulled off one glove and began to gently pet her hair. It was sort of awkward, but he remembered his mom doing it when he had nightmares as a kid, and it always made him feel better. Plus, her hair was soft.

When Starfire, Cyborg, and Nightwing got to their location, Beast Boy was only half-conscious. He was very dizzy and very tired. He barely noticed the other Titans arriving, only reacting when Starfire tried to lift Raven out of his arms. He snapped back into vague consciousness and snarled at her, making the alien rear away in fear.

"Sorry, Starfire," Beast Boy said, realizing it was her. "I just…not feelin' great."

"It is alright, Beast Boy," Starfire murmured. All the same, she hesitated before reaching for Raven again.

Cyborg gently poked the lump on Beast Boy's skull. The changeling yelped in pain, cringing from the half-robot. Cyborg made a humming sound under his breath. "Damn B, they hit you good. You dizzy?"

Beast Boy stared at the three moons above him. "I think so."

"Can you stand?"

Not wanting to be a burden, Beast Boy shakily got to his feet. The world swam. His stomach lurched, and he vomited onto his shoes. Staring at the mess, he barely heard Cyborg's sigh: "Yeah, that's a concussion."

"Is Raven okay?" he asked. Only it came out more along the lines of "Iss Raewen ogay?"

Cyborg's eyebrows came together in concern. "Beasty, I think you should lay low. Could you sit down or –"

The world swam before his eyes again, and Beast Boy fell gracelessly to the ground. Starfire zipped forward and caught him before he hit the cement. Wow. When had standing gotten so hard? Exhaustion pulled at his limbs, and he found that he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

_I'll just close my eyes for a second…_he thought. _Then I'll get right…back…up…_

…

Beast Boy woke up to the sound of beeping. Two sets of rhythmic beats, to be exact. It was annoying, and he wanted it to go away. His head hurt horribly, and his mouth tasted like sewage. Not to mention his body was stiff and sore and generally pained. He struggled to remember exactly what had happened to cause this unfortunate occurrence.

As consciousness came back to him, he became more aware of his surroundings. He was lying on top of a cot, and his shoes and shirt had been removed. Breathing in, he could smell antiseptic and a faint trace of his teammates. He was in the infirmary. Why?

His eyes cracked open. The light had been dimmed. There was a flimsy green curtain separating his bed from the rest of the room. Some heart monitor electrodes were attached to his chest, the wires leading to the machine just outside the curtain. Beast Boy briefly wondered why Cyborg was using older tech; usually the half-robot monitored vitals using his own computers.

The whispered voices of his teammates floated to his ears from behind the curtain. He couldn't make the words out at first; which was unusual. He strained to listen, holding his breath as he did so.

"– possible coma." This was Cyborg's voice, reduced to a low rumble. Beast Boy squinted, confused. Was he talking about him? That can't be right. He was awake.

"How long do you think it will last?" Nightwing. Quiet and thoughtful, with a touch of dread.

"There's really no way to tell for sure," Cy answered grimly. "Could be days. Could be weeks."

"Weeks?" It was Starfire this time, her voice trembling.

"It could be worse, Star," Cyborg murmured. "She could be dead."

_She?_

And just like that, it all came rushing back. The fight, the head injury…and Raven.

_Oh, God._ Beast Boy struggled into a sitting position, disrupting the carefully placed electrodes on his skin. His stomach lurched. With a swipe of one hand (still gloved), Beast Boy ripped the curtain aside.

His team had turned to look at him, concerned expressions painting their features. Ignoring his growing dizziness, Beast Boy swung his legs over the edge of the bed and tried to use his momentum to bring himself to his feet. Immediately, Starfire and Nightwing leaped forward, catching him before his legs gave out.

"Beast Boy!" Cyborg cried out, mildly shocked. A small screen was popped out of his wrist; he had been checking it. "Dude! What are you –"

"Raven!" the changeling yelped, his voice cracking. "Where is she? Where is she?"

"You need to sit down, Beast Boy," Nightwing reasoned. "You have a serious head injury. Here, let me –"

"No!" he nearly screamed. "I need to know she's okay! Where is she?" He attempted to thrust himself forward, but Starfire had him locked in a death grip. Cyborg and Nightwing were blocking his view.

"She's fine, B," Cy soothed. "Look." He pointed to one of the large screens on the wall. It showed Raven's vitals, all of which seemed normal. But Beast Boy wasn't convinced.

"You said she's in a coma!" he blurted. His heart seemed to be beating right behind his eyes. "That's not fine, Cyborg! It's not!" His voice caught on the last note, and he bit his lip to keep from crying. It didn't help.

"Sit down, Beast Boy," Nightwing said again, a little more firmly than the time before. "We can't explain anything to you when you're hysterical."

"Can you at least let me see her?" Beast Boy whimpered. He was too weak to keep fighting anyway. Cyborg nodded and moved out of the way. Raven was laying on a cot on the other end of the room. She wasn't floating, like she did when she was healing. Instead, she looked small and limp, like a broken marionette.

Beast Boy sunk backwards, falling back onto the cot. Looking at her made him want to cry. She looked…dead. "What's wrong with her?" he whispered.

"We're not sure," Nightwing started. He glanced at Cyborg. The half-robot rubbed the back of his neck.

"She's alive," he began hesitatingly. "But during your attack, something must have seriously messed with her psyche. She's in some sort of mental lock-down. We were actually hoping you could give us a clue, B. You're the only other person who saw the fight."

Beast Boy scoffed. "If you can call it that. It was more like an ass-kicking." In as much detail as he could remember, the changeling rehashed the fight.

"So they are _not_ the HIVE?" Starfire asked. She looked thoroughly confused.

"That would make sense," Cyborg said quietly. "The original was pretty much a waste of time and money."

"You said this 'Bombadiera' attacked Raven?" Nightwing clarified. He was scratching his chin with one hand – a classic Robin move.

"I think so," Beast Boy mumbled. It was all very fuzzy in his concussed brain. "Her eyes were all…glowy."

"Is she not the one who put Speedy out of commission?" Starfire queried.

"I think she is," Nightwing answered. The group continued talking, but Beast Boy tuned out. He was watching Raven now. The sorceress definitely looked like she was in pain – her face was still in that twisted, harsh expression. By her side, her hands were clenched into fists. Beads of sweat trickled along her hairline.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" Beast Boy asked. His voice was barely a whisper.

The conversation stopped. All three teammates looked first at him, and then at each other. Their worried expressions only increased Beast Boy's anxiety. Finally, Cyborg spoke.

"We don't know yet, Beast Boy."

…

In the days that followed, Beast Boy spent a great deal of time in the infirmary. He was released himself after two, but was benched from any patrols or other heroic activities for a while. Beast Boy didn't mind. He spent this extra time beside Raven's cot in the infirmary, sitting in a chair pulled up to the level of her head.

At first he just sat there, watching her. At every twitch, every sharp intake of breath, the changeling would shoot out of the chair and stare at the screen displaying her vitals. Nothing ever seemed to change. He worried a lot.

About a week after the initial incident, Beast Boy started talking to her. Just inane stuff mostly, like how the weather was ("It's raining today. Again. But you like rain, huh?"), what he'd done that day ("I watched the stupid infirmary TV for ten hours."), or what was happening around the Tower ("Silkie ate the remote. Again. It's stuck on a Spanish soap opera channel. I think Nightwing's gettin' into it."). She never answered. He still worried a lot.

His sessions sitting with the comatose empath became more and more intimate as the days wore on. He talked to her about a lot of things. It was strange; these one-sided conversations were some of the most emotional he had ever experienced. At one point he'd gotten angry and broken the tiny TV in the corner. Another time he'd cried for two hours. He even spent a whole day performing a comedy routine for her. This was all because somewhere, deep in his mind, he believed it would wake her.

Two weeks after the fight, Cyborg walked in on one of Beast Boy's "conversations" with Raven. The changeling was sitting in his usual spot, knees drawn up under his chin. His dull, tired eyes were fixed on the sorceress's face. Cyborg cleared his throat and Beast Boy turned, not in the least bit surprised to see the newcomer.

"We're worried about you, B," Cyborg began softly. The green teen blinked slowly.

"Why?" There wasn't much emotion in his voice. He'd worn himself out.

Cyborg sighed and pulled a chair up to the other side of Raven's bed. His mouth drew into a thin line as he looked into her face. The expression was not as bad as it had been originally – she no longer seemed to be in agonizing pain. Her eyebrows were creased slightly, but that was it.

"I'm scared, Cy," Beast Boy murmured. "What if she never wakes up?"

The half-robot leaned back, his human eye flicking away. "She will."

Beast Boy fidgeted. "You don't know that. What if she's gone forever?" His voice had risen slightly. Cyborg breathed another very deep sigh.

"She isn't."

The younger boy snarled in frustration. He stood up, the chair skidding back. "Stop saying that!" he snapped. "Stop pretending that you know! You don't! None of us do!"

Cyborg stood as well, towering above Beast Boy. "Being positive is better than moping around every single day!" he bellowed. It was very rare that the half-robot was angry, but with the combination of tiredness, frustration, and worry, the right buttons had apparently been pushed.

"I'm keeping her company!" Beast Boy spat back. "You can't just tuck her away in a closet and pretend everything's okay, Cyborg. Because it's not!" Angry tears were filling his eyes. His fists shook at his sides. "It's not okay! She could be dead!"

Cyborg stared down at him, his jaw set. The anger was rushing out of him like air from a balloon. The half-robot sat down heavily. He brought both hands to his face. Beast Boy remained standing, wiping at the tears with a frustrated hand.

The infirmary was silent but for the computer's quiet beeping. After a minute, Beast Boy sat back down, crossing his arms and leaning back. He looked down at his lap.

"You think I don't know that?" The low rumble of Cy's voice made Beast Boy's head snap back up. The half-robot was now looking at Raven. He looked twice his age. "I have no idea what Bombadiera did to her. I can't do anything. And that upsets me." He cleared his throat and looked away. "It upsets me a lot. I love Raven. I really, really do. She's like my sister. Losing her would be like…" He paused again, swallowing. "It would be like losing my mom all over again."

Beast Boy felt horrid. The things he said…they now seemed even worse. He scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Cy. About all the shit I said. I just…don't want to lose her either."

Cyborg gave his best friend a small smile. "I know, B. I know how much you care about her." He stood, grunting as he did so. "I think I'll check in with 'Wing. He's running himself ragged."

"Yeah," Beast Boy said, distractedly. "That's a good idea."

He barely noticed Cyborg leaving the room. As soon as he did, the changeling reached over and grabbed the empath's cold, gray hand. The room was once again reduced to silence.

…

Beast Boy's first patrol since the incident was scheduled for an evening a couple days after his talk with Cyborg. It was with Nightwing, and would only be a short sweep of the northwest quadrant. The changeling was anxious about it. It wasn't going out again that scared him – it was leaving Raven. Leaving her side made him feel uncomfortable. He had actually started sleeping in the infirmary with her, curled up on the chair in an animal form (or even human, occasionally). He didn't want to be gone for too long, lest she wake.

In the time before his patrol, he was sitting in his usual place, talking to the comatose girl next to him. He had one of her hands in both of his; playing with her fingers.

"I'm going out tonight," he said softly. "I have to. The Team is exhausted without us. Well, you, mostly." He chuckled to himself. The familiar silence met him. He had gotten used to it, but the pain of not hearing her voice made his body ache.

"So you gotta wake up soon, okay? We can't function without you." He blushed. "Me especially." Saying it out loud, even to a coma patient, made him feel awkward. "Well, uh, ya know, who's gonna let me know what jokes aren't funny?"

No response. She really did look like she was sleeping now. All of the traces of pain were gone from her face. Beast Boy sighed.

Nightwing knocked on the door, but did not open it. "Are you ready, Beast Boy?"

The changeling glanced over at the door. "Just a sec!" he called. He stood, looking down at Raven. He gently set her hand down on the cot.

"I gotta go, Rae," he said, quietly. His feet didn't move. He stared at her, frowning. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. It was almost as if a force were keeping him in place. "I gotta go," he repeated. Her sleeping face did not change.

With one quick, jerky motion, he leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. Her skin was cold, but the touch sent a spark up through his lips. A shiver wracked his frame out of nowhere, and he gasped.

"Beast Boy!" Nightwing called. He was obviously getting antsy. "We need to stay on schedule!"

Using all of the force he could muster, Beast Boy swung himself back and stumbled out the door.

The patrol was very calm. Absolutely nothing happened, which Beast Boy suspected Nightwing planned for. The non-HIVE group hadn't been spotted since their attack, and Nightwing had been concentrating on finding them near the area where the fight happened. That was on the other end of town from where he and Beast Boy were patrolling. They were circling an upscale neighborhood; Nightwing on his motorcycle and Beast Boy in the air as an owl. Nothing of interest had occurred.

When Nightwing skidded to a halt just past the gate to a community, Beast Boy assumed trouble. He changed course and swooped down, shifting right before hitting the ground. Nightwing was talking into his communicator in hushed tones. When the changeling approached, Nightwing ended the call and looked over at his teammate. Beast Boy could read nothing from that emotionless mask. But the two words that came out of his mouth made Beast Boy's heart nearly launch out of his chest.

"Raven's awake."

…

Raven was sitting up in her cot when Beast Boy arrived, looking disoriented but otherwise healthy. The changeling was suddenly frozen. He had gotten back to the Tower at top speed, but now he had no idea how to move.

She was looking at Cyborg, answering simple questions like who the president was and what Starfire's name was. The sorceress seemed almost exasperated. She kept mumbling something about her memory being entirely intact and that he needed to stop fussing. She hadn't even noticed that Beast Boy had entered the room.

"R-Raven?" Beast Boy stuttered. All chatter stopped. Cyborg and Starfire stepped out of the way of the empath's vision. Raven stared at the boy across the room, her face the closest to surprise it had probably ever gotten. Her mouth opened, like she was about to say something.

It was at this time that Beast Boy's brain remembered motor functions. He lurched forward, reaching the empath's bed and sweeping her into his embrace. He buried his face into her neck, entirely engulfing himself in the steady, steady heartbeat. Her pulse quickened under his touch.

"Beast Boy," she said, breathlessly. Her arms reached up shakily and wrapped around his neck. Her grip was weak. "Beast Boy."

"Oh, God," the changeling said thickly. He was crying. Hot, heavy tears rolled down his cheek and onto Raven's alabaster skin. "Raven."

It was like the rest of the world disappeared. There was no team, no infirmary, and no universe. Just Raven. Raven returned to him. And that was all that mattered.

And in that moment, everything became crystal clear. It was the most cliche experience possible, but Beast Boy could not care less.

He loved her.

…

A/N – Hello, dears. I hope you liked this. It started out funny but then became really angsty. I haven't been feeling my happiest lately, and it's been reflecting on my writing. So I put my lighter stuff on hold so I wouldn't poison it accidentally…But I'm gonna try writing more on that stuff soon, I promise! :) Reviews are incredibly, incredibly appreciated. Thanks, loves.


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